I use copper mesh packing and copper plates,anyone that does will know it gets dirty,and the dirtier a wash like rum the more residual crap gets left behind,yes I agree its not a visible thing of dirty vapour or visible solids moveing up,but the fact remains it gets there,what it is exactly is not the question for me.With neutral the less of it the better,but with rum and whiskey extra yeast and wash flavour comeing over is not a bad thing but a method ta add more flavour,exess yeast cells are said ta burst dureing boiling releasing unwanted flavour congeners for neutral.The citric acid solution that comes from a dirty packed section after a mucky wash is more blue with more crap reacting to the copper and reflux action,again what it is exactly is not my question but something I see and know .cheers hillzabilly ;-)

Last edited by hillzabilly on Sun Aug 19, 2018 5:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yeast is a lot more complicated than just thinking of it as a solid. When bluc referred to it as a solid he wasn't meaning that it behaved as a solid in the still, but it's a solid that can be settled out in many washes. It doesn't however behave like a solid on boiling, the yeasts can release other chemicals as they are heated up and these are the most likely candidate for off flavours from an uncleared neutral wash (in addition to the yeast becoming burnt on the elements). Flavoured washes like whiskey age in a barrel and the oak takes care of off flavours...with time.

bluc wrote:Try it and see then let us know..the fact its boiled and re condensed means nothing. Look at rum and whiskey its distilled snd retains plenty of flavour..solids in a wash when boiled creates a flavour and a little amount of solids in a neutral will produce a flavoured rather than a neutral spirit...

I put down three TPW’s a while back and ran the first one through my t500 the other day and whilst airing the cuts I decided to put some gelatine in the next two and see if there is a difference in the neutral. Just running the second one now and the first thing I noticed is my still is running much slower and I have had to reduce the flow of water to get the dribble, drip, drip instead of just drip, drip, drip at the start. Does this make any sense to anyone?

Is your cooling water cooler than before? if so will produce more reflux. I doubt its caused by glycerine.. :handgestures-thumbupleft: what is the glycerine used for? As a finnings agent to help clear the wash?

Last edited by bluc on Sun Oct 14, 2018 2:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Gelatine clears the wash, only a teaspoon in 25 litres. Cooling water temp was about the same as last time, I have a couple of 1000 litre pods and run the water from one through my still and into the other one then back again when I next run my still.

I doubt the gelatine has made it run slower either but the less amount of solids in the wash ( it was very clear ) I was thinking my have something to do with it, maybe someone has a theory better than mine.